Where does the word “Advent” come from? Why is one of the candles in the Advent wreath pink – and where did the tradition of an Advent wreath originate? What is a Jesse tree and how do you make one? What are the Great “O” Antiphons? How long is Advent? Whether your questions about this season are simple or complex, there are a wealth of online resources that we have compiled at www.catholicnewsherald.com to answer them. Browse our website at your leisure to deepen your spiritual journey and learn something new this Advent.
While the focus of Advent is looking forward to Christ’s arrival at Christmas – “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus,” which means “arrival” – there are three additional feasts and solemnities to honor in this season. The Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6 honors the saint whose story was the basis for Santa Claus. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (this year, on Dec. 9) celebrates the doctrine that Mary was conceived completely free of original sin. St. Lucy’s Day on Dec. 13 commemorates a fourth-century virgin martyr who, according to legend, brought food to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs, wearing a candle-lit wreath on her head to light her way.